So, my store had a ridiculous sale on roasting chickens the other day, and since we were being told that yet another major storm was about to hit, I decided a roast chicken was just the thing...
So I used my new favorite method... thank you, Mark Bittman... preheat the oven to 500° (with a well-seasoned cast iron pan inside) for at least 45 minutes. Place the salted, peppered, oiled bird into the pan, breast side up. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn down the heat to 350°, and roast until done (approximately 45 minutes for a 4-5 pound bird... but take its temperature... about 155 in the meaty part of the thigh).
Now, while the bird was pretty damned good, what I want to suggest to you is that the days AFTER the first meal were pretty good, too! I made chicken hash (above), a pasta with cream, and (below) chicken stock (also from the roast), and smoked salt - period.
These all accounted for 4 dinners and a few lunches... and I still have enough white meat left for a chicken salad... Pretty good for an $8 chicken!!!!!
(Besides being cheap... I want everybody to realize that lack of $$ does NOT have to mean boxed Ramen noodles!)